Consumers' fears could stunt Web sales

AUTHOR(S)

Riedman, Patricia

PUB. DATE

December 1999

SOURCE

Advertising Age;12/13/1999, Vol. 70 Issue 51, p77

SOURCE TYPE

Trade Publication

DOC. TYPE

Article

ABSTRACT

This article deals with the effect of consumers' fears of online shopping on Web sales as of December 1999. According to Jupiter Communications, which released a study stating that consumers' fears about online shopping are causing them to spend less than 10 percent of their holiday budget online. A survey of more than 1,300 U.S. online shoppers found that they feared items offered by online stores would be out or stock and not be delivered in time for the holidays. It was also found that online shoppers favored tried-and-trusted merchants. Affiliate marketer LinkShare Corp. reported that more shoppers were pulling out their wallets. The company added that 88 percent of purchases were made on weekdays, showing that shoppers are taking advantage of high-speed connections at work.